Heartless Labyrinth
by Kiyomisa
Summary: A retelling of the wonderful movie Labyrinth, with the KH cast as it's characters! RxS, AS, CR. AR
1. I

Kiyomisa: Yes, this will be shonen-ai, and yes this will follow the movie very closely. However, to keep in character as much as possible, scenes will be changed to fit the flavor of Kingdom Hearts. Riku and Ansem will probably be the most OOC out of the cast, but I hope I still got the flavor of them. Enjoy!

* * *

Far away, beyond the End of the World, there lived the Heartless King. He was an ancient fey who took unwanted children and turned them into Heartless, expanding his Kingdom and power. For centuries his name was spoken in hushed tones as tales to frighten children into behaving, nearly no one believed in him anymore. But he was very much real and alive, and he had fallen in love with a mortal youth...A youth by the name of Riku.

It was a sunny day on the beach of Destiny Islands, like it usually was. And it was completely the wrong weather for the heated discussion taking place on its sunny shores.

"You're always hanging out with Kairi, Sora!" Riku accused, narrowing his striking teal eyes at the younger boy.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I made these plans with her a week ago," Sora protested, spreading his hands almost pleadingly.

"Well just _unmake_ them!" Riku snapped, crossing his arms.

"I can't do that!" Sora snapped back, his own temper breaking as he glared at his friend.

"Fine! Go then!" Riku yelled. "I would've been better off if I'd never met you!" The youth knew he was overreacting, but he couldn't help it. It felt like his best friend was ignoring him, and that hurt and frightened Riku. He didn't like feeling afraid, so he turned it into a safer emotion, like anger.

Unfortunately, Sora did not handle anger very well. "Well it's not like you can get the Heartless to take me away!"

Hurt even more, Riku yelled back, "I wish the Heartless would come and take you away, right now!"

The silver-haired youth turned on his heel and began to storm away. He kicked a rock furiously, then shivered as a cool breeze picked up. The wind grew even stronger and the sky was darkening. Worry about the beginnings of a storm made Riku look back for the small brunette, but Sora was nowhere in sight. Riku frowned; he hadn't heard anything and Sora was too klutzy to get away without being heard.

"Sora?" he called, but there was no answer, only the sound of waves on the sand and wind in the trees. Riku hesitated, then turned back, looking for Sora's footprints in the sand. There were none to be found. Riku's heart began to beat faster and his eyes widened. _Did the Heartless really-?_ He shook his head, ridding himself of the idea. The Heartless were just a fairytale, there was no way they could've taken Sora.

Laughter sounded from the trees, soft and dark, all different pitches, harmonizing like a disturbed choir. Riku jumped, dropping into a fighting stance, despite the fact that he didn't have his practice sword. Adrenaline was beginning to flow into his veins. He searched the foliage with his eyes, but he saw nothing.

"Show yourself!" he yelled, silencing the laughter as he clenched his fists, fear and anger coursing through him.

"I'm right here," a voice purred in his ear, deeper than the earth and smoother than the fine wet sand. Riku jumped away with a cry and whirled to face his foe.

There stood a tall man with tan, mocha skin and brilliant silver hair that shone even though clouds blocked the sun. His eyes were an unsettling shade of orange, like two cat eyes made of embers from a fire. For a moment Riku was too mesmerized by those eyes to say or do anything. Then he noticed the amused smirk gracing those sinful lips and he came back to himself. If there was one thing Riku detested, it was being laughed at.

"You're the Heartless King," he said, glaring defiantly, despite the way those eyes made his heart beat faster.

The king tilted his head in acknowledgement, his smirk giving the action a mocking flavor.

"Bring Sora back."

"Tsk tsk." The king shook his head. "Not even an introduction? I'm Ansem, nice to meet you."

"Bring him back," Riku repeated stubbornly, refusing to be drawn into inane conversation with the man.

The king crossed his arms and shook his head. "Now Riku, what's said is said."

"Bullshit, you know I didn't mean it," Riku retorted frostily, crossing his own arms.

Ansem cocked his head, his smirk as wide as ever. "Didn't you?"

Riku growled, resisting the urge to wipe that smirk off his face. "Bring. Him. Back."

Ansem sighed and uncrossed his arms, bringing one, entirely too warm hand to rest on Riku's shoulder. "Riku, go back to your island, practice your swordplay. Forget about Sora."

Riku forced himself to stay still, no matter how much he wanted to end the feeling of the man's touch. "I can't."

Ansem walked behind him, encircling him in his arms. The heat coming off of him was almost unbearable and Riku couldn't help but shiver.

"I've brought you a gift," Ansem purred in his ear, holding a good-sized clear globe that looked to be made of glass before him. When Riku remained silent, the king continued, rolling the globe through his fingers as if it were a penny in the hands of a master o f sleight of hand. "It's a crystal. If you look into it correctly, it shows you your dreams. Needless to say, this is not a gift for an ordinary boy. It rids his life of hindrances, those things that would hold him back from his full potential. Do you want it?"

Riku licked his lips nervously, for inside the crystal he could now see himself, older, a master of swordplay.

"Then forget the boy."

Riku clenched his teeth. "I can't. I won't."

The crystal vanished into thin air, and Ansem's hands moved to his shoulders. "Don't defy me," he almost growled, gripping hard. Shadows rose from nowhere and enveloped Riku, blinding and suffocating him. He struggled, to no avail. In another instant they were gone. Riku collapsed to his knees, gasping for breath. Ansem chuckled lowly.

"You see? You're no match for me, Riku."

Riku glared up at him. He would _never_ admit defeat until he was actually defeated. "I want Sora back. Where is he," he demanded, standing up and willing himself to avoid being trapped by those ember eyes again.

The Heartless King's eyes flashed, whether in vexation or amusement, Riku couldn't tell. "You know very well where he is."

Riku narrowed his eyes, glaring stubbornly and refusing to speak.

The king narrowed his own eyes, then stepped to the side and pointed out to sea. "He's there, in my castle."

Riku stared at the castle now in the distance. It was too far away to make anything out, but it must have been large indeed. He strode to the edge of the water. "That's the Castle Beyond the End of the World?" he murmured, glancing back at the king. Destiny Island was gone, replaced by a sea of stars and a lone path of shifting light. Ansem stood with his arms crossed once more, his silver hair flicking majestically in the wind. "Turn back, Riku. Once you start on this path, there is no going back."

Riku snorted, trying to ignore Ansem's unwavering gaze. He looked once more towards the castle, now seated on a hill over-looking a vast labyrinth. "It's not that far," he said, more to boost his own confidence than anything else.

"It's further than you think," Ansem murmured, once again in his ear, and Riku shivered at the warm breath and velvety voice. "And time is short," the king continued, pointing past Riku to an elaborately carved clock with thirteen numbers that seemed to float in midair. Riku stifled the urge to jump away from the Heartless King's body, his presence and scent enveloping the silver-haired youth. He smelled of wood-smoke and spices.

"I'm going," Riku said, proud that his voice didn't waiver.

"Pity." Ansem drew away. Riku refused to look at the dangerously handsome man. "I'll give you thirteen hours to solve the Labyrinth, then Sora will become a Heartless-"

Riku clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, fighting the image of Sora's sky-blue eyes looking dully without a soul behind them, becoming a black and twisted Heartless.

"-And you will remain in my castle, forever."

Riku jerked his gaze back to the King, his stomach dropping. "What!?"

Ansem smiled. "You don't think I would pass up the chance to get a pretty boy like you, do you?"

Riku shivered and took an involuntary step back, staring at the silver-haired man. Ansem's smile grew. "I'll see you in thirteen hours, Riku." The Heartless King slowly vanished, his deep laughter lingering in the air.

Riku shivered again, then looked over the Labyrinth. "How hard can it be?"

* * *

Kiyomisa: Review for the next chapter! See ya!


	2. II

Kiyomisa: Thank you Dea, Blue Baroness and Katomi for your encouraging reveiws! Since I'm bored, and feeling generous, I'm going ahead and posting chapter two, just for you three. Enjoy!

* * *

At the bottom of the hill, Riku found himself standing before a tall, ivory-covered wall. "Now, to get in." Riku searched for a door, walking up and down the wall, but found none. Scowling at the wall, Riku began to look for something to help him climb it instead when he spied someone sitting with their back to the wall. He trotted over to them and discovered that they were a young man, only older than Riku by five years at the most. His hair was blonde and spiky, reminding Riku somewhat of Sora's hair, though the black clothes and red, tattered cloak gave the man a much more somber appearance. Beside him, also leaning against the wall, was a giant, squarish sword. It looked almost like a small plane's wing that had been sharpened to a deadly edge. He appeared to be napping.

_Well, he'll just have to wake up._ "Excuse me."

The man slowly, and deliberately opened his eyes, proving that he hadn't really been asleep. His eyes were the same blue as Sora's, and Riku felt a small pang in his heart. "Do you know where the door is?"

"Which door?" the man returned, his voice a soft tenor.

"The door to the Labyrinth."

"Who wants to know?" the question was neither sarcastic nor aggressive, but calm and relaxed and it threw Riku off balance.

"I'm Riku," he answered automatically.

The man nodded. "I thought you might be. I'm Cloud." His expression hadn't changed and Riku began to wonder if the man knew what a smile or a frown was. For a while there was a small silence, then Riku tried again.

"So do you know?"

"Know which?"

"About the door."

"Which door?" Cloud returned, completely deadpan.

Riku briefly wondered if the man was simple, but he caught his gaze again. Cloud's eyes were much too sharp for a simpleton and Riku realized that the swordsman knew exactly what hr was trying to find out.

"Look, if you didn't want to tell me, you could've just said so," Riku snapped.

Cloud's eyes narrowed slightly, the first expression change Riku had seen. "Maybe if you asked the right question, I'd give you the right answer." Though he hadn't raised it, Cloud's voice was no longer soft, but hard and sharp like steel. Riku got the feeling that he wasn't a man to cross. Still...that was no reason to show that he'd acknowledged it.

Riku sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, how do I get into the Labyrinth?"

Cloud merely gazed at him until he added, "Please?" The swordsman nodded and stood up. "That's better. You get in, here, " he said, thrusting his sword in the wall and turning it sharply, as if it were a key and the wall a lock. A moment later, the wall dissolved into the ground in a soft rain, leaving an elegant archway.

"Are you really going in?" Cloud inquired, still mostly expressionless.

"Yes."

Cloud shrugged. "Suit yourself."

Riku sent the blond another glare, then stepped through. On the other side was a long passageway that seemed to go on into infinity in both directions.

"Choose-y," Cloud said from behind him. Riku jumped, then growled. He was getting tired of handsome men sneaking up behind him.

"So, left, or right?" the swordsman asked, nodding in either direction.

Riku tapped his foot and glanced at his choices. "I don't know," he said at last. Cloud merely looked at him, unnerving him.

"Well which would you choose?"

Cloud raised his eyebrows, the first real expression change Riku had observed. "Me? I wouldn't go either way."

Riku wanted to punch him, but the dangerous air and the presence of the large sword stopped him. "You're just full of help aren't you?" he snarled instead.

Cloud's eyes narrowed and his voice hardened again. "You take too much for granted. _If_ you do happen to make it through the Labyrinth, you won't get back again."

"Well that's your opinion," Riku said, still trying to decide which way he wanted to go, and irked by the blonde's lack of confidence in him.

"It is. And it's better than yours," Cloud stated flatly, then walked back through the arch, which returned to solid wall once he was through.

Riku tried to put the swordsman out of his mind and started walking, deciding that one way wasn't really any better than another. At times he felt like he was being watched, but he studiously ignored it, concentrating on Sora. He had to get him back as soon as possible; who knew what that perverted king was doing to him?

As he walked, it soon became apparent that there were no doors or openings in the stone walls. "What kind of Labyrinth is this? there aren't even any turns!" he griped to himself, but kept moving. Still no doors. He began to run, aware that every minute he wasted, was another minute Sora had to spend with Ansem.

However, after running until he had no breath and still finding no doors, he stopped in frustration, picked up a branch and chucked it has hard as he could at the wall, dodging it as it bounced back. "Dammit!"

"Whoa! Chill man! This ain't the WWE y'know!" an indignant voice called out.

Riku looked around for the speaker. "Where are you?"

"Down here, Mr. Violence," the voice drawled, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. The youth looked down towards his feet and saw a red Chinese dragon about the size of a garden-snake.

"You're a dragon!"

"Congratulations, you get a prize, Captain _Obvious_," the dragon retorted, placing its claws on what appeared to be its hips. "Now, sit down and tell Mushu what that wall did to warrant such a ferocious attack."

Riku bristled; he hated being patronized even more than being laughed at. But he decided to ignore it; if he kept trying to pick fights, he'd never reach Sora in time.

"Okay, so I'm trying to solve this Labyrinth, but there's no turns or doors or anything! It just keeps going!"

"Well then you ain't looking right! It's full of them, there's one right there." Mushu pointed, extending a tiny claw. Riku looked, but saw nothing but the same ivy-covered stone he'd been seeing ever since he passed through Cloud's door.

"No there isn't."

"Oh yes there is."

"But it's just wall," Riku protested.

"You callin' me a liar!? Just walk through it, dunderhead! Things ain't what they seem 'round here!" the little dragon ordered.

Dubiously, and feeling more than a little stupid, Riku walked towards the wall with his hands outstretched. He kept expecting his hand to run into cool stone, but they never did. Instead, he found himself with two new choices of paths to take.

"Hey, you're right!"

"Damn straight! I'm the Great Mushu!"

Feeling slightly humbled, and a little embarrassed, Riku turned and thanked the dragon before starting down one of the new paths.

"Wait! Don't go that way!" he heard Mushu call out.

"Why not?"

"You don't _wanna_ go that way, trust me." The dragon sounded completely serious, and he'd been right before, so Riku decided to take the advice.

"Thanks," he said gain and took the other path.

Mush shook his head as he watched the youth leave. "If he'd kept going that way, he would've ended up right smack at Ansem's Castle. That's somethin' that pretty-boy _don't_ need."

* * *

Kiyomisa: So, whadja think? 


	3. III

Kiyomisa: Well, here ya go, more Ansem/ Sora stuff! - Hope you have fun!

* * *

Ansem was feeling rather pleased, despite the chaos happening in his throne room. Heartless of all shapes and sizes were running around, doing as they pleased: chattering, fighting, drinking, gambling. The king was beginning to feel a headache coming on, and he stood up. An Invisible, one of his quiet personal retainers looked at him with its yellow eyes.

Despite their name, Invisibles weren't really invisible, though in dark places they might as well have been. Their skin was completely black save for the small purple bat-like wings that sprouted from their broad shoulders and the yellow tipped wings on their forearms by their elbows. They had two tall, spire-like horns, a lizard-like tail and a small hole in their chest in the shape of a heart.

This particular Invisible bowed to Ansem, then asked, "My liege, is something wrong?"

"No Ithlain. I'm just going to visit our new acquirement."

Ithlain bowed again. "As you wish."

"Indeed," Ansem replied, amusement lacing his voice.

Ansem slipped away, mostly unnoticed by the rest of the Heartless. Down long stone corridors and up and down staircases as twisting and confusing as the Labyrinth itself strode Ansem. But the Heartless King knew he way and went confidently. At last he came to a simple door, and flexing his powers, he strode right through it, without bothering to open it first.

Sora, the resident of the room, jumped off a comfortable bed and stood defensively, watching the ruler warily.

"What are you going to do to me?" the plucky youth demanded.

Ansem sighed inwardly. Did no one fear him anymore? "Surely you must have guessed by now. I'm going to turn you into a Heartless."

He watched in amusement as the youth's eyes grew wide and he took a step back. That was better. The brunette looked adorable when he was frightened.

"Why?" Sora asked.

"Why?" Ansem raised his eyebrows and stepped closer; Sora took another step backwards. "Because Riku asked me to."

Sora shook his head. "H-he didn't mean it."

Ansem continued to move closer, until he had Sora backed into the wall. "Oh but he did. And I'm glad he did."

Sora gazed up at him, trying so hard to be brave. It really was almost too cute. "Wha-? Why?"

"Because as long as you're around, his heart will be closed to me." The king reached down to cup the youth's cheek. So soft… "Though I can see why he fell for you. You're quite attractive, in an innocent naïve way."

Sora blinked up at him, his pretty sapphire eyes wide with confusion. Ansem leaned down till his face was quite close to the youth's. "Perhaps I can find something more amusing to do with you for the nine hours and twenty-three minutes you still have that adorable face."

Riku had picked up a small sharp stone and was using it to scratch arrows on the sandstone tiles in case he had to backtrack. But every time he had gone back to his marks, they'd either changed direction or disappeared completely. The sixth time this happened, Riku threw the stone down in anger.

"Dammit Ansem! You're cheating! This isn't fair!"

"You're right, it's not fair."

Riku sighed and turned around. He was getting used to sudden appearances behind his back. There now stood two iron doors with vine trellis-work. Before each door, on limestone pedestals, stood a chipmunk. One looked quite normal, while the other sported buck teeth and a red nose.

"_That_," Riku pointed, "was just a dead-end," he accused.

"Looks like the dead-end's behind you now," the red-nosed chipmunk laughed. Riku glanced over his shoulder and sure enough, the open passage he had come through was now a solid wall. He turned back to the chipmunks.

"How am I supposed to solve a labyrinth that keeps changing?" he demanded, crossing his arms. The silver-haired youth felt like sitting down and pouting, but he wasn't quite aggravated enough to give up his dignity…yet.

"Well, the only way out of here is to take one of these doors," the other chipmunk informed him seriously in his little voice.

Riku eyed the doors. He didn't like the way they looked. "Where do they go?"

"One leads to the castle, and the other goes to-"

"Ba ba ba bum!" the red-nosed chipmunk interrupted.

"-Certain death!" the two chorused together.

"And I suppose you're not allowed to tell me," Riku observed, now eyeing the chipmunks.

"Oh, we can tell you, right Dale?"

"Right Chip," the red-nosed one agreed, "but you can only ask one of us."

"And once asked, one of us always tells the truth, and one of us always lies. " Chip leaned forward to whisper conspiratorially. "I tell the truth."

"No you don't! I do!" Dale shouted.

Riku tuned out the chipmunks as they continued to bicker and he thought carefully. There was only one way of getting his answer. Smiling smugly at his solution, the confident youth went up to Chip and cleared his throat. The chipmunks stopped their bickering and blinked up at him.

"If I asked him if his door led to the castle, would he say 'yes' or 'no'?" Riku pointed to Dale. Chip thought for a minute, then replied, "Yes."

"Then your door leads to the center, and his to certain death," Riku proclaimed.

The chipmunks glanced at each other, then looked back to Riku. "How do you know?" Dale asked, his small tail wagging slightly.

"Because if you were telling the truth, then Chip would be lying, and your answer would really be 'no'," Riku explained.

"But _I'm _telling the truth!" Chip protested, almost falling off his pedestal in his effort to convince Riku that he was the truth-teller.

"Yes, and then Dale would be lying and the true answer would still be 'no'."

Chip looked to Dale, a frown on his small, furry face. "Is that how it works?"

Dale shrugged and scratched his red nose. "Search me, it's all over my head."

"I figured it out, I beat the system," Riku said smugly as he approached Chip's door. Ansem's stupid tricks and traps were no match for him. He'd find Sora in no time. He pushed the door open, revealing a long, dark corridor. "Heh, piece of cake," he said as he stepped inside,

With a grinding crunch, the floor beneath him gave way and he began to fall. By the time he'd caught his breath to yell, the youth jerked to a stop, several… _things_ twined about his arms and legs.

"What the-" In the dim light he looked closely at the one about his wrist and yelled when two large yellow eyes stared mournfully back at him, a steam-shovel like jaw gaping at him. "Yaaaaaah! Let go!"

Everything that was holding him had those yellow eyes and strange jaws, no limbs, and seemed to grow directly out of the walls. And they were cold and clammy, and he was beginning to feel slightly sick. Riku began struggling, preferring the unknown fall to being touch by these creepy creatures. The things began moaning and wailing, trying to catch him again, but he finally pulled free and fell about ten feet, landing hard on a cold damp floor.

"Ow!"

A grate clanged overhead, shutting out most of the light. Riku sat up and blinked in the dark, testing his shoulder.

* * *

Kiyomisa: And that's all ya get until I have ten reviews!! Maybe...review please!


	4. IV

Kiyomisa: Yeay! Dea loves me! hugs Dea I'm putting this chapter up early just for you! Hope you likes!

* * *

Ansem frowned as he gazed into his crystal and watched Riku. "He's in the oubliette."

Some nearby heartless snickered.

"Silence! He shouldn't have gotten this far. He should have given up by now," Ansem muttered, staring at the image as if Riku were a specimen in a cage.

"He'll never give up," Ithlain said quietly.

Ansem's frown turned into a smirk. "Won't he? The swordsman's about to lead him back to the beginning. He'll give up when he finds out he ahs to start all over again." The Heartless King chuckled and soon most of the Heartless in the room were laughing too. Italian however remained silent and contemplative.

The cave was dark and silent until the noise of a footfall caught Riku's ear. "Who's there?" he demanded, dropping into a fighting stance, even though there was no light to see by.

"Me," came the calm reply, a soft tenor voice. A 'puff' sound and a slight smell of sulfur permeated the air and a flamed appeared near Riku atop a lone candle on a rock.

"Cloud?" the youth said as he spied his companion. The man nodded.

"There's nothing to see, just this hole," he said as Riku looked at his surrounding. And he was right. It was just a small cave about twenty square feet and seven feet high.

"This is an oubliette," Cloud informed him.

"From Oublier?" Riku asked, looking curiously at the blond.

Cloud nodded. "French 'to forget'."

Silence draped over them, but Riku didn't mind. He was busy thinking of how he was going to get out.

"You should get out of here."

Riku glared up at the swordsman. "Gee, why didn't I think of that?"

Cloud looked up at the ceiling. "I know a shortcut out of the Labyrinth. You could go home."

"I'm not giving up! Sora needs me! And I'm doing fine," Riku added, almost petulantly, but not quite.

Cloud reached over to touch Riku's shoulder gently. "It gets worse further in," the blonde said, his blue eyes gazing sincerely into Riku's.

"Why do you care?" the youth found himself asking defensively.

"I need a reason? I just do," Cloud answered.

Riku studied the handsome swordsman for a minute and he wondered why the terse man kept reminding him of Sora. Something about the eyes he decided. "Do you care enough to help me solve the Labyrinth?" he challenged.

Cloud looked to the side and removed his hand from Riku's shoulder. "I can get you safely to the beginning, that's all."

Reacting on instinct, on the feeling that Cloud was somehow like Sora, Riku grabbed Cloud's hand, forcing the man's gaze back on him. "Look, I understand that you can't take me to the castle, but take me as far as you can and I'll do the rest on my own. Please?"

Cloud looked uncertain, then sighed. "All right. I can't promise much, but I'll take you as far as I can."

Riku squeezed the man's hand. "Thank you."

Cloud nodded and gently took his hand back. Then he walked over to a wooden plank lying on the floor, lifted it up and pressed it to the wall. He tapped the left side with the hilt of his sword, and pulled the right side away. A pile of buckets, a mop and a broom fell out of a small hollow behind the door.

"Damn broom closet," Riku heard Cloud mutter as he shut the door and tapped the right side with his hilt. This time when he swung it open, a tunnel with fresh air and light was behind it.

"This way," cloud said, and Riku got the impression that the man was embarrassed. Feeling closer to the swordsman than before, now that it was evident that he was only human, Riku followed him into the tunnel.

The tunnel widened and grew turn, twists and spin-offs, but Cloud strode unerringly forward, and Riku stayed close, trusting that the man knew where he was going.

As they walked, they passed a stone carving of a face, which called out, "This is not the way!"

"Ignore them," Cloud advised. "They're here to put people off the right track."

Riku did so, but couldn't help studying the faces as they passed, thinking of how Sora would've enjoyed them. He was brought back from his thoughts when he heard Cloud arguing with one of the faces. Apparently the swordsman had gotten fed up with being told to go another way.

"Just, shut up."

"Please?" the face begged. "I haven't gotten to say it for such a long time!"

Cloud pinched the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache and glanced at Riku. Riku shrugged; the warnings didn't really bother him.

"Fine," Cloud said in disgust.

"Thank you! Ahem, this path will lead you to certain destruction!"

Cloud and Riku nodded to the face and were about to go when a small tinkling sound caught their attention. A small round crystal, much like the one Ansem had tried to tempt Riku with, rolled past their feet and into a small dark alcove, where it jumped into the hands of someone hidden in the shadows.

"Well well, what have we here?" a deep, familiar voice asked. Cloud knelt down and bowed his head. "Majesty."

Ansem stepped out of the shadows, his ember eyes glowing. "Hello Cloud. I just wanted to make sure you weren't helping this boy, " the king purred dangerously.

"Helping? In what sense?" Cloud responded, and Riku thought the man seemed slightly nervous. He couldn't hear it in his voice, but cloud's fingers were twitching slightly in the dust.

"In the sense that you're leading him towards the castle," Ansem replied, grabbing Cloud's chin and forcing him to look up.

"Lies your Majesty, to get him to follow me," Cloud replied steadily, though Riku saw his fingers clench.

"Good," Ansem replied, moving his hand to entwine his fingers in the hair on the back of Cloud's head. The Heartless King jerked on the blonde strands, pulling Cloud's head back. The swordsman grimaced in pain, but made no sound.

"Because if you'd betrayed me, I would've banished you to the Glade of Sleepless Death."

"I…understand," Cloud gritted out. Ansem let go and patted him on the head as if he were a dog, then turned to Riku.

"And you, my dear Riku. How are you enjoying the Labyrinth?"

"Piece of cake," Riku replied cockily, glaring at the silver-haired man.

Ansem's eyes flashed, standing out against his dark skin. "Is that so? Then why don't we make it a bit more challenging?" He produced a clock, whose hands moved forward rapidly to take two hours off of Riku's remaining eight.

"Hey! You can't do that!" Riku yelled, taking a step forward, though what he was going to do to the king, he didn't know.

"I can't? I believe I just did," Ansem replied heatedly. "You say it's a piece of cake? Then try this slice." The king snapped his fingers and a strange rumbling sound occurred. Cloud stood up and gazed into the darkness. Light glinted off metal in the distance.

"The Cleaners," Cloud said.

* * *

Kiyomisa: Didja like it?? The next one's coming up soon -


	5. V

Kiyomsia: Well, I'm going on vacation for a week, so I'm putting up two chapters now, and probably another two Thursday. Hope it keeps ya satisfied for a bit Daea!

* * *

"What?" Riku stared at the light, which was steadily growing bigger as the rumbling grew louder, joined by a mechanical sound.

"Run," Cloud replied, grabbing Riku's hand and starting down the opposite direction. The Labyrinth had once again changed and they were now in a single corridor. Ansem had also disappeared.

Riku glanced behind him as they ran, and caught a fleeting image of whirling blades and flashing metal that took up the entire span of the tunnel.

"Shit!"

He and Cloud began to run faster. However, they soon skidded to a halt, their way blocked by a locked metal gate. Cloud kicked it.

"The Glade, the Cleaners, he must really like you," the swordsman muttered.

"Oh shut up!' Riku snapped back, looking around for some means of escape. The wall to his right looked cracked and unstable. He pointed it out to Cloud, who nodded.

"On the count of two," Riku said, aware of the Cleaners getting closer and closer. "One, two!"

The two body-checked the wall, then fell through as it exploded under their onslaught in a cloud of cobwebs and dust. A split-second later the Cleaners rushed by, smashing through the gate. Riku sat up and winced. Okay, so using the same shoulder he'd landed on earlier wasn't such a good idea.

"You all right?" Cloud asked, touching his arm.

Riku nodded. "Yeah, just a bruise. Remind me no to hit any thing else with this shoulder, okay?"

He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a smile on cloud's lips before the swordsman turned his head away.

"There, that ladder will help us," the blond said, nodding to a ladder on the far side of the small room they had charged into. "That is, if you still trust me." Lichen-blue eyes glanced back at him.

Riku gazed back. "Why wouldn't I? I know you just told him that to get him off your back."

Cloud nodded. "True. Shall we?"

Riku swept a bow. "After you."

And they began looked to be a very long climb.

Sora felt drained. He lay limp on the bed, not even having enough energy to put his shirt back on. He wondered if Riku was fighting his way through the Labyrinth like heroes in the past. His stomach twisted.

"He is, isn't he?" the brunette shook his head. He had no reason to believe that his friend wouldn't come get him.

Sora turned over and curled up on his side. "I'm sorry about Kairi," he murmured to the empty air. "I didn't mean to avoid you. I just didn't know how to act around you since…since I…" Sora couldn't finish and buried his head in the pillow.

"Poor boy," Ansem's deep voice said gently, and Sora felt warm arms pull him into an equally warm embrace. "You were just discovering you loved him, and he banished you to the End of the World."

"He's coming for me," Sora said firmly, remaining stiff in Ansem's arms.

"I wish I could tell you he was," Ansem said quietly, running his fingers through Sora's hair. "But I'm here for you."

Sora pushed himself away. "You're going to make into a Heartless!" he accused, glaring hotly at the man.

"Sora, you make it sound like I _want_ to turn you," the king said gently, cupping Sora's cheek.

"Don't you?" Sora challenged, narrowing his eyes.

"It's my duty, it's what must be done, but I take no pleasure in it, pretty one," Ansem explained. Sora was still glaring distrustfully, so the mocha-skinned man bent his head down to kiss him. Sora stiffened for a moment, and though Ansem's kiss was firm and insistent, it was also gentle and seductive and Sora found himself relaxing despite himself.

Ansem pulled away and lightly stroked Sora's cheek. "Go to sleep pet, rest before the final hour."

Cloud and Riku finally reached the top of the ladder, coming out of a giant pot into a bright, sunny courtyard, where the maze was now made of neatly trimmed hedges.

"Here we are," Cloud said, beating the dust out of his cape.

Riku blinked in the sunlight and glared at the bright sky from behind his hand. "At least we're in fresh air. Now what?" the youth asked his guide.

Cloud shrugged. "This is your quest."

"You just don't know where you are," Riku grumbled. Getting no reaction other than a raised eyebrow, Riku looked around. He spied an old man dressed in blue playing chess with an owl.

"Let's go see what they know."

As they neared, the man spoke up, not taking his eyes off the board. "I was expecting you fifteen minutes earlier boy. Your rook is mine Arcamedes. "

Riku, now used to the unexpected, took this statement in stride and replied with, "I ran into a small delay." He thought he heard a soft snort from Cloud and decided to ignore it. "Do you know how to solve the Labyrinth?"

"Hmph, Merlin doesn't know where his own beard is," Arcamedes asserted, capturing Merlin's bishop with a knight.

"Come now Arcamedes, don't be such a grump," Merlin chided before looking to Riku. His white eyebrows rose as he spotted Cloud. "And who might this be?"

"Cloud's my friend."

"Ah. Now, as for your question. Sometimes it seems like we're not getting anywhere, when in fact-"

"We are, make your move!" Arcamedes interrupted crossly.

"We are," Merlin finished for himself, looking at the owl rather crossly himself and moving his knight.

"Well I'm not getting anywhere right now," Riku muttered.

"Aha! Checkmate!" Arcamedes proclaimed, setting his queen down triumphantly.

"What!? Impossible!" Merlin cried, and as the two argued it became quite apparent to Riku that he would get nothing more out of them.

"Ugh, C'mon," he said and began walking towards the castle as the hedges would allow. Cloud followed and they walked in silence for a while.

"Why did you say that?" Cloud asked, breaking the silence.

"Say what?"

"That I was your friend."

Riku threw the blonde a look as they wove through the hedges. "Aren't you? You keep helping me for no real reward. Hell, you even lied to the Heartless King for me. That makes you a friend, right?"

The swordsman looked away, avoiding Riku's gaze. "I wouldn't know, I've never had a friend."

Riku frowned. How was it possible to never had a friend? He was about to comment on this idea when a loud roar reverberated through the air.

"The hell," Riku said, and changed paths to head for the sound.

Cloud debated mention the fact that most people headed away from the sound of a big angry animal, then shrugged and followed the youth. As they neared, sounds of a struggle grew apparent and taunts were being thrown.

"Big big beast, can't fight back!"

"Ha ha, can't catch me!"

"Look, I got some hairs!"

"Bet his tail hurts from that!"

Riku poked his head around the corner, finally spotting the source of the commotion. A group of half-a-dozen Heartless in clanky armor, that moved like the Scarecrow from _Wizard of Oz_, were dancing around a large creature they'd strung up by it's feet. The creature looked somewhat like a were-lion but had two demon-like horns sprouting from his head.

The creature spun on the rope as he roared and swung at his tormentors, who dodged just out of reach, time and time again. It was then that Riku noticed that the Heartless were swiping at the creature with their claws, leaving small trails of blood in their wake.

Riku clenched his teeth and looked around for something he could use as a weapon. Normally he didn't involve himself in someone else's fight, but six against one, who was hanging upside down just wasn't acceptable.

The youth picked up a sizable stone.

"Dare I ask what you're doing?" Cloud asked in his quiet voice.

"Evening the odds," Riku replied and chucked the stone.

"Nice shot," Cloud commented as the stone hit a Heartless square in the back of the head. The Heartless yelled, then turned on his neighbor.

"What was that for?!"

"What was what for?"

"You hit me!"

"No I didn't!"

"Liar!" And the first swing was swung. Riku laughed to himself as the Heartless forgot about their prisoner in favor of an all-out brawl with each other. The creature was trying to used the opportunity to rip his ropes, but was having a hard time reaching them.

Riku slipped around the side, reach the stone the ropes were anchored to. The creature looked at him, surprise evident on his impressive muzzle, but the Heartless were still clueless. Riku winked at him, then began work on the ropes. The creature remained quiet and soon Riku had the knot undone, grabbing the rope to slow the creature's descent, but he was so heavy it almost didn't matter.

Still, the creature had prepared himself for the drop and landed well on all fours. "Thank you," he growled, then pounced on the Heartless.

Cries of distress and panicked shrieks filled the air as the creature made short work of them. Then silence, followed by a chorus of hissing sounds as the bodies faded away into nothing.


	6. VI

The creature turned to face Riku and only now did the youth realize just how big he was. He towered over him, at least eight feet tall, and his chest was almost as wide as Riku's full arm-span.

"You...set me free..." the creature rumbled, confusion in his deep blue eyes.

_Does everyone here have blue eyes?_ Riku wondered. Intense ember eyes flashed to mind and he shivered mentally, trying to shake the image.

"Six again someone defenseless isn't very fair," Riku replied.

The creature bowed his head regally. "I am in your debt..."

"Riku," the silver-haired youth supplied. "What's your name?"

"Beast is fine."

Riku studied him, but the blue-eyes brooked no further questions or arguments. "All right. I don't suppose you know the way through the Labyrinth, Beast?"

Beast shook his head, his mane almost shimmering from the act. "I do not. However, to repay my debt, I will help you as best as I can."

"Thanks, we could probably use your help."

"We?" Beast looked genuinely perplexed and Riku searched for Cloud, only to find that the Labyrinth had changed yet again and the swordsman was nowhere to be found.

"I really hate it when it changes like that," Riku muttered, then louder, "forget about it."

Beast nodded, albeit a little uncertainly, and Riku focused on what he was going to do next. His eye fell on a door framed by climbing ivy. The doorknob was shaped into a comical face, the knob itself serving as a nose.

"Now that's a funny looking thing," Riku commented, bending down somewhat to examine it. He was only mildly surprised when the doorknob shot him a grumpy look.

"It's very rude to make such comments right before a person's face," it said haughtily.

"Would you rather I make them behind your back?" Riku retorted, putting his hands on his hips.

"And out of earshot, go away," the knob snapped back.

"All right then, I'll go through the door," Riku said and reached for the knob to turn it. However, it wouldn't turn.

"Ow! Unhand me ruffian!"

"Well, why won't you open?" Riku growled, letting go in disgust.

"Because I'm locked, obviously," the knob retorted smugly. Riku rolled his eyes.

"Would you like some help?" Beast inquired, leaning over Riku's shoulder. Riku pinched the bridge of his nose to stop the oncoming headache and nodded. Beast nodded himself and strode past the frustrated youth. Taking a deep breath, Beast dug his claws into the wood of the door, and with a large grunt, he wrenched the door out of the wall.

"This is outrageous!" the knob sputtered before Beast tossed the door aside where it landed in the bushes with a solid thud.

"Thank you," Riku said, the weariness and gratitude quite obvious his voice.

"My pleasure," Beast replied, sweeping a bow and motioning for Riku to take the lead, which he did. Beyond the door was a close-knit jungle that had a dirt path winding through hit. The two companions started down the path.

"Why are you trying to solve the Labyrinth?" Beast inquired after a while.

"Because Ansem's got my friend, Sora, and I'm going to rescue him."

"I see. You were very close, I take it?"

"Are," Riku corrected, almost fiercely. "At least...I hope we are...he keeps spending time with Kairi now..."

Beast made a rumbling noise, almost like an aha. "Then...you are jealous of Kairi."

"...yes," Riku admitted, pushing a stray twig out of his way. "I mean, she is my friend, and I do like her, but Sora was mine first! And I don't want that pervy king anywhere near him!" he shouted suddenly.

Beast moved a bit away from him and Riku sighed.

"Sorry."

"It's all right. How much further is this jungle, do you think?" Beast asked, looking around edgily.

"I don't know, why?"

"I just don't like this place," Beast growled, eyes moving rapidly through the foliage.

"I admit it's kind of creepy, but I don't think we have anything to worry about," Riku said, turning to flash a smile at his companion. Beast snorted in disbelief, then jerked to a stop, grunting in surprise. A black tendril was wrapped around Beast's ankle, pulling him toward a growing black pool of whatever it was. It was as black as ink, with no highlights at all and seemed to be the same consistency as the joke slime you'd find in a vending machine.

"Beast!"

"Riku, go!" Beast ordered, fighting as more tendrils shot up and wrapped around him.

"But-"

"It'll get you too!" Beast snarled.

Riku knew he was right, so he nodded and with no more hesitation, Riku turned and sprinted as fast as he could deeper into the jungle. When at last if felt as if his lungs would burst, he stopped and sagged to the ground.

_It's not fair. Anytime I meet someone to help me, they get taken away!_ Fear for Sora, anger at Ansem and frustration with himself flooded the youth until he felt like screaming. What was stopping him from screaming? _Nothing. _So Riku threw his head back and gave vent to the powerful emotions within him.


	7. VII

Kiyomisa: Well this is the last update until after the 18th! I'll be back that Tues. Hope you enjoy this until then!

* * *

Cloud was hiking through a small, rocky canyon, his mind filled with doubts. He didn't like having doubts, for he'd never had them before; but not they plagued him to no end. Had he done the right thing, leaving Riku like that? Of course he had. The Beast was with him now, he was as much help as Cloud was and Cloud was in enough hot water with Ansem without showing up at the castle gates with Riku in tow. Still...Riku had called him his friend, and friends stayed to help each other, right?

The swordsman huffed and readjusted his cloak. "You got along just fine without friends before, you don't need them now," he told himself sternly.

A scream of frustration rang out, echoing through all of the Labyrinth. Cloud snapped his head around to face it, for it had come from Deep Jungle, the place Riku was sure to have gone.

"Riku..." Damn the solitary soldier crap, Riku needed him. "I'm coming."

Before he had taken one step, he heard, "Well now, this is interesting."

Cloud turned toward the voice, finding Ansem relaxing against a large boulder. The blonde bowed his head. "Majesty."

"Hello Cloud. Don't you think it's interesting?" the king rumbled, his deep voice low and dangerous.

"Majesty?"

"That I find you, this deep in the Labyrinth, and without Riku," Ansem clarified, his unsettling orange eyes narrowing at the swordsman.

"He escaped from me when the hedge maze changed. I was looking for him," Cloud replied, hoping his voice was as confidant as he thought it was. Cloud feared nothing, save Ansem. He didn't know why he feared the man, but the fear was there and he had to deal with it.

"I see."

Another scream filled the air and Cloud only just stopped himself from wincing. "If you'll excuse, I'll go take the boy back to the beginning," Cloud said, giving a respectful bow.

"Wait, I have a better plan. Give him this," the king suggested, and Cloud looked up just in time to catch a small fruit: a soft, ripe peach.

"What is it?" he couldn't help asking.

"A gift," Ansem replied shortly, evidence that his patience was wearing thin.

"Will it hurt him?" Again the question slipped out before he could quell it. Ansem reached out to stroke his cheek.

"Cloud, why the concern?"

The blonde remained silent.

"If I didn't know any better," the silver-haired king continued, moving his hand lightly across Cloud's throat, "I'd say you had feelings for him."

Cloud took a firm step away from the Heartless King. He didn't want that hand anywhere near his throat should Ansem get angry. "You made sure that I couldn't have feelings for anyone long ago."

"True," Ansem agreed. "Therefore you should have no qualms about giving the peach to him, will you?"

"...No."

Ansem smiled dangerously and again patted Cloud on the head. "Good boy. Oh, and Cloud..." He cupped the back of the swordsman's head and pulled him close. "If he ever kisses you, you'll be in the Glade of Sleepless Death before you can blink." That said, Ansem kissed him lightly on the lips before pulling away and laughing. Cloud closed his eyes until the laughter died away, and when he opened them again, he was alone, a small, perfectly harmless peach in his hand.

Having calmed down and regained some kind of ability to think, Riku pressed on through the jungle, firmly ignoring the fact that he was hopelessly lost. The silver-haired youth froze momentarily as a branch snapped off to his right. A soft thud then caught his attention to his left.

Swearing internally, Riku picked up a hefty, sword-sized stick as soon as it became apparent that several creatures were closing in on him from all directions.

He saw the first one approach from his right, cautiously poking its head through the leaves. Then more, up to half-a-dozen, followed suit. They were Heartless, but unlike the ones that had captured Beast. These were monkey-like for the most part, with blue or tan fur and football shaped heads. They had no faces, merely black voids from which peered two bright yellow points serving as eyes.

Riku watched them warily, for they paced around him silently, giving no hint as to what their intentions were. Then, with a chittering cry, one leaped at him. Reflexes from his self-training did not fail him and he batted the Heartless out of the air, sending it smack into a tree where it fell, then melted into nothing.

The others let out their own chittering cries and tried to swamp him. Riku kept them at bay for a while, but he soon noticed that for every Heartless that he killed, another rose from the shadows to take its place.

_I'll never get them all, I've got to get out of here._ Spotting a space where there were only two Heartless between him and the rest of the jungle, he charged the creatures broke free of their circle, and again ran for all he was worth. The knowledge that he had to keep running filled him with frustration and a bit of shame, but he thought of Sora and ran faster. _I'd do anything for him_, he thought, listening to the crashing leaves and furious chatter of the Heartless chasing him.

When he came up to a wall, he nearly kicked it out of spite. Then, to his surprise, a rope was dangling before his face.

"Riku!"

He looked up at the voice. "Cloud!"

"Come on!"

Riku grabbed the rope and began to climb. Cloud pulled on the rope from the top, half-hauling the youth up, and soon he was out of the Heartless' reach though they continued to jump for him in vain. When Riku was close enough, Cloud let go of the rope to grasp his forearms.

"I'm-glad to-see you," Riku panted before Cloud gave a final heave and pulled Riku right over the top of the wall. The inertia knocked the two backwards, Riku landing on top of Cloud. It took Riku a moment to register the fact that his lips were pressed against something warm and soft, and another moment to register that the warm object was Cloud's lips.


	8. VIII

Riku jerked back hastily, apologizing. "Oh man, I'm sorry." Cloud, an interesting, if barely noticeable, shade of pink dusting his cheeks, closed his eyes and banged his head on the ground lightly. "Fuck."

Before Riku could say anything further, or stop straddling the blonde, the ground dropped out from under them. IN reflex, Riku latched onto Cloud as the two fell down the chute now under them. Then he regained his senses and worked with Cloud to try and slow them down. He could see a light past his feet, and it was rapidly getting larger.

Their efforts were in vain and they shot out of the chute, rolling on the grass at the end of it. When they finally stopped, they were lying on their sides, arms wrapped instinctively around each other. For a while they just lay there, regaining their ability to breathe. Riku finally broke the silence with a greatly profound statement.

"Ow."

"You okay?" Cloud asked, raising a hand to gently brush Riku's bangs away.

"Uh, yeah, I think so," Riku replied, looking at the blonde with wide, tropical eyes. Cloud blinked, seemed to realize what he was doing and withdrew his hand. He untangled himself from Riku and stood up.

"Good, we should get going."

Riku stood up, not looking at him. "Right, which way?"

"This way," Cloud replied, heading for the twisted, mist-filled forest that now lay before them. Riku followed.

"I wonder why that chute opened," the youth mused aloud, finding the silence uncomfortable.

"Because you kissed me," Cloud returned quietly.

"But that was an accident," Riku protested.

"Doesn't matter."

"It still doesn't make any sense," the youth argued.

Cloud shot him a brief, rueful smile. "Since when do things need to make sense in the land of the Heartless? Besides, Ansem is a very jealous man."

A breeze picked up and ran through Riku's hair, feeling like a cold version of Ansem's fingers. Riku shivered and moved closer to Cloud subconsciously.

"I don't like this place," Riku stated, glaring at the swirling mist and the gnarled, barren, black trees.

"The Glade of Sleepless Death, where spirits walk freely, yet chained to the mortal realm," Cloud said, also looking around edgily.

"Oh...sucks to be them," Riku commented, rubbing absently at the goosebumps raised on his arms. Cloud noticed.

"Are you cold?"

Riku shook his head. "Not really. It's just this place."

The mist surrounded them, thickening until they could barely see each other, let alone where they were going. Wordlessly, Cloud reached out and took hold of Riku's hand to keep from getting separated.

Riku kept silent, though his chest tightened. Riku wasn't terribly good at lying to himself, and had to admit that it felt nice to touch the young man. But why? Shaking his head, he attested it to the fact that Cloud was his closest companion in this strange world. That, and his eyes looked like Sora's. _Oh god Sora, I'm so sorry._

The next thing Riku knew, he was lying on top of something shaggy and very warm. "Ow!"

"Riku?" a familiar, deep voice rumbled in surprise.

"Beast?" Riku returned, sitting up to look into his friend's blue eyes. "You're all right!" Riku exclaimed as they disentangled themselves.

Beast chuckled. "It'll take more than a few shadows to kill me."

"Ugh, I hate mist," Cloud's voice drifted in from the side.

"Who's that?" beast asked.

"Oh, that's Cloud, my friend."

"Riku?" Cloud sounded closer.

"Over here," Riku called back.

Moments later the swordsman stepped out of the mist and nodded to Beast in greeting.

"Now what?" Beast asked. The wind picked up and the mist cleared enough to reveal an arching hill that almost spiraled.

"Looks like we might be able to get out of here with that," Riku suggested, pointing at the hill.

"Sounds good to me," Cloud said, striding forward.

"The sooner we get out of here, the better," Beast agreed, following. "I don't like this place."

"Neither do I," Riku agreed.

At the base of the hill, a tall, lanky man stepped out of the mist, blocking their way. With a start, Riku realized that the man was in fact a skeleton dressed in a well tailored black and grey striped suit.

"Ah ha! Visitors! What bring you to the Glade?" the skeleton asked cheerfully.

"Just passing through," Riku replied, heading for the hill. the skeleton leaped in front of him, spreading his thin arms wide. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you pass," he said, sounding truly apologetic.

"Why," Cloud demanded, narrowing his eyes at him.

The skeleton raised an eyebrow at him, his bone moving as well as any flesh. "I'm sword to protect this bridge with my life."

"But you don't have a life," Riku pointed out.

The skeleton waived his hand. "A trivial detail."

"Get out of our way," Beast growled.

"What's the hurry?"

"This place is creepy and I've got to find Sora," Riku said, somewhat impatiently.

"Creepy?" The skeleton echoed, plainly startled. "But, the Glade is so peaceful and quiet."

"It's creepy," Cloud asserted flatly.

'You obviously cannot appreciate the Glade's natural beauty. And you still cannot pass."

Beast growled and strode up to the skeleton, grabbing hold of his suit jacket and pulling him off the ground. "You try my patience."

The skeleton glared back calmly. "And you are wrinkling my jacket."

Riku stepped forward. "Look, Ansem has my best friend, someone I love more than anything. I just have until the thirteenth hour or he'll become just another Heartless. To get to him, I need to pass this way. We certainly don't want to hurt your bridge or you, will you just let us through?"  
The skeleton blinked at him, then slowly smiled. "A cause as worthy as yours indeed warrants passage. And, if I may, I'd like to accompany, to further help your cause. This is an adventure to be sure!"

It was Riku's turn to blink and he glanced at his companions for advice. Cloud just shrugged Beast set the skeleton down with a snort and a gruff nod. "All right, you can come with us."

"Wonderful! I am Jack Skellington," he announced, sweeping an impressive bow. Then Jack turned to the woods and whistled through his bony fingers. "Zero!" An answering bark was heard and soon a white ghost dog floated out of the woods. The ghost went up to Jack and nuzzled his hand, then floated over to Riku to sniff him curiously.

Riku petted the dog gingerly, not sure if he could even touch it, but found that he could. Zero was bitingly cold to the touch, like a lamp-pole on a winter day. The ghost also wasn't fully tangible, and Riku found his fingers sinking in as if Zero was made of crushed ice.

"Now Zero, stay here and be good," Jack ordered. Zero whimpered, then barked, licked Jack's hand and disappeared back into the woods. "Shall we go?"

The others nodded and were grateful to find out that Jack knew the way towards the castle from the Glade.

Cloud hung back from the others, lightly fingering the peach in his pocket. It had survived all of his tumbles without even a bruise. He could almost feel Ansem's presence in the deceptive little fruit, and he took it out of his pocket to look at it. Grimacing, he cocked his arm, preparing to throw it into the mist. A warm breeze, completely out of place in that land of cold death, brushed across his cheek carressingly. It carried the words, "I wouldn't do that love."

Cloud shuddered and lowered his arm. "Don't make me do this," he whispered hoarsely, but there was no answer.


	9. IX

Kiyomisa: Heyo! I 'm back (despite having the car break down) so I have a new chapter for you people -. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

* * *

Sora watched the curtains around his bed, deep crimson heavy things that barely moved in the breeze from the open window. He felt light-headed, and was having problems thinking clearly. It was as if he had a fever, though he wasn't shivering, and nothing felt too hot or too cold. He felt too tired to move, though after Ansem's last visit he wasn't surprised by this fact.

The man frightened him. Not in the sense that he thought the king would hurt him...pain was not the man's intention. Quite the opposite in fact. What frightened Sora was the fact that each time Ansem came to him, he was getting more light-headed, and found it harder and harder to resist him.

He was shaken from his loose thoughts as the curtains opened. Sora made himself sit up. Ansem strolled in and sat on the bed. "Still tired, pretty one?"

Sora shook his head slowly, not wanting to make himself any dizzier than he already felt. His stomach gurgled in the silence and heat rose to his cheeks, but he said nothing and looked away from the mocha-skinned man.

"You're hungry, and no wonder, it's been over nine hours," Ansem spoke softly, leaning down to kiss the top of Sora's head. He stroked Sora's hair and snapped his fingers with his other hand.

Four blue flames formed in the air, circled around each other, then coalesced into a large winged Heartless.

"Ithlain, fetch some food for my pretty one."

The tall Heartless bowed with a, "at once my liege," and left the way he came. Ansem pulled Sora on to his lap and Sora wanted to fight, but he just didn't have the energy. He felt warm, ticklish kisses being dropped along his neck and he tried very hard to ignore them. They caused tingles down his nerves, making his heart beat faster. Sora focused on staying as still

as possible. He didn't want the man to know he was already being affected.

With a soft hiss, Ithlain reappeared, a tray of fruits, bread and cheeses in hand. Sora stifled his sigh of relief as Ansem turned his attention to the tray. His relief was short-lived however as Ansem set the tray down and selected a strawberry to set on Sora's lip. The brunette avoided Ansem's glowing gaze, but ate the strawberry and listened to Ithalain's hissing departure.

The silver-haired man then chose a medium-sized peace of honeydew, cut in the shape of a ball. Instead of putting it to Sora's lips as he'd done with the strawberry, Ansem placed the melon ball in his own mouth, and bent down to kiss Sora. The brunette parted his lips to accept the melon unhesitatingly, for his head was still swimming and he was very hungry. He didn't even register the taste of the food.

As Ansem kissed him deeper, Sora closed his eyes and thought _Riku, please hurry_.

Riku and his companions walked in comfort, easy comments and inane conversation flowing easily until Beast's stomach rumbled loudly. Jack looked at him in surprise.

"What was that?"

So Beast and Riku explained the whole eating concept to the skeleton, who was absolutely delighted with the idea. "Fascinating! Are you hungry, Riku?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it." Bright teal eyes began to search the bushes on the sides of the path. "Does this place have any berries or something?" the youth slowed down as he looked while Jack and Beast rounded the bend, discussing herbivores versus carnivores.

Cloud watched him for a while, again fingering the peach. _Should I give it to him? Ansem said it wouldn't hurt him, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. _Then again, it looked as if Riku was Ansem's new obsession, in which case he wasn't lying about the fruit. And Riku would need his strength to face the Heartless King later... "Riku?"

The youth turned to look at him, his silver hair shining gold in the patches of light from the setting sun. His eyes, the same color as the tropical water of his home, seemed to glow in the golden light. "Yes?"

"...here," Cloud said, holding out the peach, feeling a similar kind of awe looking at the youth that he got in the presence of Ansem. But instead of a fearful awe, it was a pleasing one, one that made him want to linger in his presence. The smile that graced Riku's face only increased the awe and Cloud wondered if he was blushing.

"Hey thanks! You gonna share it with me?"

"I...I'm not hungry."

"You sure?" Riku asked as he took it. Cloud merely nodded. "Thanks," the youth said again, then took a big bite. Cloud watched anxiously as he chewed and swallowed.

"It tastes...strange. What is it?"

Cloud felt his stomach sink inexplicably and took a step back.

"Cloud?" Riku frowned and stepped forward, then swayed, raising a hand to his head. "Cloud, what did you do?" His eyes had lost their glow and were beginning to cloud over.

"Damn you Ansem," Cloud said clenching his fingers. Riku's eyes burned into his and it was too much. "Damn me too," he added before fleeing into the woods.

Riku felt exceedingly dizzy and sat down heavily as he watched the blonde disappear.

"Oh I'm in trouble."

Ansem was feeling fairly content. If only the warm body lying asleep in his arms belonged to Riku rather than the brunette, but that would be fixed soon, he mused, idly trailing his fingers along Sora's smooth back.

A ripple in his magic made him smile. It was time. Carefully he eased from the bed, making sure not to wake Sora. He gazed at the brunette for a minute, feeling a small warmth blossom in his chest. Perhaps...perhaps he'd keep Sora as well, and not turn him into a Heartless. He really was a sweet boy.

Ansem turned his thoughts back to the task at hand and strode to the window, reveling in the cooling air on his skin. Holding out his arm, he flexed his fingers and his power, creating a crystal like the one he'd shown to Riku hours earlier. Inside it shimmered an elusive picture. Ansem smiled, pleased with his work, and blew on it gently, sending it dancing on the breezes into the evening sky. Again and again he created the crystals and sent them out into the Labyrinth

When he was finished, he leaned on the window sill, a smug, cat-like grin on his face. "I hope you enjoy my gift, Riku."

* * *

Kiyomisa: Hmm...kind of a cliffhanger ain't it? Well...shrugs I do the same thing to the Mustang Meets Dog readers so don't worry about it, it's not because I don't like you. It's because I want to make you come crawling back to read the next chapter! Mwahahahahaha!....ahem, review.


	10. X

Kiyomisa: Well...there wasn't nearly enough crawling...but okay here's the next bit. Don't drool too much over Riku n' Ansem in this one okay? Wouldn't want you to short out your keyboards ;P

* * *

Riku sat beside the path, trying to make things stop spinning. He felt dizzy and slightly nauseous, a feeling he really wanted to stop. It was then that he saw the bubbles. At first, he was ready to dismiss them, but that was before he caught sight of the people inside.

Unthinkingly he reached out to grab one and get a closer look. As soon as his fingers closed upon it, he was _in_ it, amid a swirl of whirling people. Soft music filled the air as the people laughed.

All wore masks and fancy costumes to mimic the Heartless bodies, but they themselves were obviously human...or least human shaped. Riku felt decidedly out of place in his yellow shirt, black pants and sneakers. He was just grateful that he hadn't worn the blue overalls that day.

A woman dressed as a purple Gargoyle passed by, spotted him and said, "I love your costume," in a sultry voice.

He knew she was laughing at his 'street' clothes, but he glanced down at himself anyway. He was wearing a white tuxedo that shimmered like opal in the light. On his vest was Ansem's crest, a heart-sword with four jagged pieces. He could feel a weight on his back and when he shifted there was resistance. Riku looked over his shoulder to see not one, but two pairs of opalescent wings.

"Hey Angelstar," a young with the turban and scimitar of a Bandit Heartless purred, winking at him from behind his cloth mask. Riku blushed, though he wasn't quite sure why. Then he suddenly remembered; he was looking for someone, someone very important at this party, and he had to find them before the thirteenth hour.

Riku began to move through the crowd, being careful of his wings. He caught a glimpse of long silver hair and his heart beat faster. _There he is!_ he thought excitedly, heading for the area he'd spotted him in. But when he got there, his objective was gone, nowhere to be seen.

Riku cursed softly under his breath and began looking for him again. Across the room, orange eyes flashed from behind a black silken mask before the crowd once again hid him from Riku's sight. Riku dived into the crowd, cursing his decision to wear a costume with wings as they made it difficult to get through the crowd quickly.

Again his elusive prey had escaped. Riku hit the refreshment table petulantly. He jumped slightly when a pair of warm arms wrapped around him from behind.

"Looking for someone?" a familiar deep voice teased. Riku flushed and pulled away, turning to look at th tall man.

"Hello handsome," Ansem murmured affectionately, reaching down to cup Riku's cheek.

"I finally found you." Riku felt stupid and off balance; he couldn't tear his eyes away from Ansem's flickering eyes.

"Yes, you deserve a reward." The man dipped his head and kissed him, tasting his mouth like a butterfly tasting nectar. Riku's head began to spin again and he closed his eyes against the dizziness. Warmth seemed to spread from Ansem's lips throughout Riku, and tingles shot through his nervous system. Riku had never been kissed before and it both more and less powerful than he'd imagined. Every time Ansem's tongue brushed across his, it sent more shivers through him and his knees were beginning to go weak with sensation.

Ansem ended the kiss and Riku drew in a sharp breath he hadn't been aware he needed. Ansem chuckled and moved his kisses to Riku's neck, sucking softly on the pale skin he found there. Riku gasped and clutched at Ansem's arms. "A-ansem!"

"Come with me," Ansem murmured, tugging hands insistently.

"W-why?" Riku wondered why he was feeling so shy. He was never shy, he was always the flirtatious one. His thoughts were interrupted when Ansem smiled at him and led him from the crowded room.

The path was only a pavilion over grass, and it gave way pleasantly under Riku's feet. They entered another building, away from the music and laughter of the other guests. The room Ansem led him to was open and airy, covered with pillows, cushions and sheets. The man tugged Riku gently to the middle of the room, then undid his wings and set them down. Riku rolled his shoulder once they were free, working out the slight stiffness he'd acquired from wearing them.

Ansem began to massage his shoulders, warm hands kneading firmly and pleasantly as he kissed Riku's cheek and neck. The youth shivered and closed his eyes. It felt so good, but something was off-"Ah!" Ansem bit his neck lightly and Riku forgot about the off feeling.

The man's hand had snuck it's way into Riku's shirt, strong fingers brushing across his nipple, sending a shock through him. It was becoming hard to think and Riku leaned back against Ansem's broad chest for support. Then, almost idly, the youth wondered what time it was, for he had something important to do by the thirteenth hour, and he couldn't waste too much time in Ansem's arms, tempting though it was.

Riku opened his eyes and looked curiously around the room, forcing himself to momentarily ignore the sensations the older man was making him feel. He found himself vaguely aware of every last detail, down to the weave in the satin on the pillows.

_Almost like a dream_, he thought, then jerked upright, bringing a disgruntled noise from Ansem. "This _is_ a dream!" Riku cried, moving away from the mocha-skinned man.

He ran from the room, not noticing that Ansem did not follow or even call out after him. _I have to wake up! How?_ the youth thought frantically, looking around for the way out. He was aback among the swirl of people, some giving him leers and knowing looks.

_Don't look at me like that!_ Riku wanted out and he wanted out now. It wasn't fun anymore. It wasn't until that moment that he noticed one wall of the ballroom wasn't there. Instead there was a shimmering iridescent curtain. _Like a soap bubble_, Riku thought, reaching out to touch it. If felt smooth and cold like glass, but shifted colors like soap or an oil spill. Not a bubble, then, but crystal. Crystals could still be broken. Riku turned from the wall, looking for something solid enough to break through. A grandfather clock began to chime the hour, it's ornate pendulum swinging steadily. Startled, Riku checked the time. Eleven, only two hours left. He had to get out of there! Grabbing the first thing at hand, Riku lifted a chair and sung it as hard as he could at the pane.

The crystal shattered, and like a drain had been removed, everything was drawn to the hole, air rushing out with a deafening roar, that somehow didn't drown out the chiming of the clock. Riku barely registered the angry screams of the other guest as he leapt into the nothing, praying that he'd make it in time.

Everything went black, and his body went into sudden convulsions, all his muscles contracting at once It lasted less than a second and he became aware that he was lying on a slab of what felt like concrete. Nothing hurt, he'd just awoken from his dream. Carefully he sat up, still feeling somewhat dizzy. His hand still held the peach and as he looked at it, a small green worm crawled through it.

"Ugh, you can have it," Riku muttered, setting the peach down and wiping his hand on his pants. He wondered if the worm would OD and die from whatever was in the peach, then shook the thought from his head and got his first good look at where he was. It was a grey, rocky mountain-side. There were no plants to be seen and the sky was overcast, making it impossible to tell what time of day it was. Everything was grey, there was no color in the bleak landscape and the only thing that reassured Riku that he hadn't gone colorblind was the bright yellow of his shirt.

"Well, not going to get anywhere just sitting here," he said as he levered himself up. He started in a random direction, hoping he was headed the right way for wherever he was headed.


	11. XI

Cloud sat by his little campfire in the End of the World Mountains, wrapped in his cloak. He was being stupid, he knew. He should be reporting to Ansem, but all he could think of were those bright teal eyes, clouding over with Ansem's magic. And every time he thought of them, it was as if his chest were in a tightening vice and he found it difficult to breathe. "So...this is what it's like to betray a friend..." he said, too harshly to be morose, yet too softly to be bitter.

The fire only crackled in response.

Riku paused to catch his breath, laying one hand on a tall, spindly rock.

"My dear child! You look positively exhausted," a concerned feminine voice crooned. The stone under his hand moved, and Riku looked up to find that the rock he'd been leaning on was now a tall, striking woman.

Her chin was elegantly pointed and her eyebrows arched perfectly. Her hair was concealed in a cowl that rose in two twisting horns. But the two most striking things about her were her soft green skin and her brilliant yellow eyes, for they stood out in color among the bland grey that surrounded them.

"Where are you going that you must work yourself to exhaustion?" she crooned again, lifting long, elegant fingers to touch his cheek. Her hand was as cold as the stones on the mountain-side.

"I-" Riku frowned and shook his head. "I don't remember." How could he have forgotten? He didn't usually forget things, especially something this important and he didn't like the way it made him feel lost and slightly hopeless.

"Oh?" the woman sounded mildly surprised and raised one finely shaped eyebrow. "Then, why are you up here, child?"

"I was looking for something." Well, at least he remembered that much.

"Is this what you're looking for?" she asked, pulling his wooden practice sword from within her black robe. Riku took it from her, feeling strange, as if he weren't quite in his own body.

"Y-yes, I think so, but how did _you_ get it?"

The woman smiled. "I am Maleficent, I am capable of _many_ things. Come, I'll show you the way to your home." But something was still bugging Riku; he didn't like the way Maleficent's smiles didn't quite reach her eyes. "Why are you doing this for me?"

"I imagine your friends are quite worried about you," Maleficent said, and Riku wondered if that was her answer or if she was just ignoring the question. She pushed gently, but firmly on his back, pointing him towards a cave he hadn't noticed before.

"Through there hunh?"

Maleficent nodded, her smile still in place. "Through there."

Taking a deep breath, Riku stepped into the cave. all was darkness as he walked, then a light, proving it to be a tunnel rather than a cave. Riku raised a hand to shield his eyes from the light and stepped outside.

The familiar sound of waves crashing upon a shore reached his ears, and the salty, fishy smell of the sea assaulted his nose. His eyes finally adjusted to the light, Riku lowered his hand. He was looking at Destiny Island from the entrance to the Secret-Place. _I-I'm...home?_

Laughter reached his ears and he spotted Kairi, Selphie, Waka and Tidus standing on the beach. Kairi saw him and waved him over. Feeling his heart lighten considerably, Riku trotted over.

"Riku, there you are!" Selphie laughed.

"We were waiting for you," Kairi added mock sternly.

"Yeah, what took ya so long, man?" Waka asked.

"Oh, I had to find my sword," Riku answered, holding it out to show them.

"All right, let's get started then," Tidus said. "Kairi and Riku, you get the yellow flag, and Me Selph an' Waka get the red flag."

Riku took the yellow cloth, frowning slightly. "Is someone missing?" he asked, looking at his friends faces. They exchanged puzzled glances. "No, why do you ask?" Kairi asked curiously.

"It's just...I though we usually had even teams...don't we?"

Selphie giggled. "No, we've always split up like this."

"Oh." It still didn't feel quite right to Riku.

"Everyone ready?" Tidus asked. There was a chorus of yes's and nods. "All right, let's go hide the flags."

They cheered, then split up. Kairi began to set up their jail and Riku went to hide the flag. The Secret Place would be perfect for hiding the flag. Especially since he suspected Selphie would hid hers in the watch tower.

But as he reached the entrance, Maleficent stepped out, blocking his way. "Child, why aren't you playing with your friends?"

Riku looked at her suspiciously. "I am. I was going to his this in there," he said, motioning with the flag in hand.

"Surely you can think of a better hiding spot than that," the woman said silkily. "The tree hollow perhaps."

"What are you trying to hide from me?" Riku demanded. Maleficent looked startled before smiled.

"My dear child, why would I hide anything from you?"

"Why wouldn't you?" Riku countered, before shoving his way past her.

"Wait! Look here," she said.

Riku turned to look despite himself. In her green hands lay a bright sword. It was real, made of metal, not the wood that he and Tidus used. "I will give you this, provided you your flag elsewhere."

Riku, who had been about to touch the sword, jerked back and glared at her. "I don't trust you lady," he said and ran into the Secret Place before she could stop him. Once inside, he set the flag down and looked around, gazing fondly at the drawings on the walls. There was the T-rex he'd drawn, and there the sun that Kairi had. And over there, the portraits Kairi and-who had drawn the other? He knew it hadn't been him, and the others never came in there.

He knelt before the portrait Kairi had drawn. "I wasn't looking for something, I was looking for some_one_," he murmured wondrously.

"Nonsense child. Everyone you care about is _here_," Maleficent said behind him. Blue eyes, sun kissed hair and a bright smile filled Riku's mind. He stood up and turned to face her.

"But not the one I love. Not _him_. Not..._Sora,_" he said. Maleficent's face twisted in anger, but before she could do anything, there was a loud crack and the ground shook.

"My world!" Maleficent cried, and Riku snatched the sword from her hands, dashing towards the door, dodging earth and rock as it fell down around him.

"Riku!"

"Jack!" the youth called back, charging towards his friend's voice. A roar sounded behind him, but he didn't dare turn to look, he had to keep going. He could see light ahead, Jack and Beast standing in it.

"Riku!" Beast called out, holding out his giant paw. In seconds Riku was able to grab it and Beast pulled him away from the tunnel just as a hug black dragon exploded from within it.

"Wow!" Jack said, sounding impressed as the dragon wheeled about in the sky, turning back for another charge. Riku disentangled himself from Beast and dropped into a low fighting stance. He swung at the dragon as it swooped by, snapping at him with its powerful jaws. The sword just skidded off in sparks and the dragon flew on, again wheeling around. This time it opened its jaws and let loose a stream of green fire.

Beast and Riku dove to the ground, avoiding the flames, but were soon surrounded as the flames settled onto the rocks like a flock of vultures awaiting a kill.

The dragon perched on a crag and laughed. "It's useless to fight me child! I will destroy you for what you've done!" cackled Maleficent.

Riku jumped as a thin, light hand touched his shoulder. "Leave her to me," Jack murmured darkly in his ear. Riku nodded and let Jack take his sword when he felt the bony fingers grasp it. Then Jack disappeared again and Riku dodged another pass, telling Beast, "Help me keep her distracted," when she was out of earshot. Beast nodded, then picked up a large rock and chucked it at the dragon.

Maleficent shrieked in rage and dove again, claws outstretched, and though Beast dodged, she clipped him hard on the shoulder. Beast roared in pain and Riku rushed to him. The wound wasn't deep, but it was bleeding madly. Maleficent perched on another crag and cackled.

"You are no match for me!"

Riku said nothing but watched jack crawl up the rock-face spider-like, sword clenched in his teeth.

"Are you going to keep needlessly prolonging your death?" Maleficent demanded, highly amused.

Riku smirked as Jack carefully turned upside down, preparing to strike. "Yes, because I'm to live far longer than you."

Maleficent chuckled and shook her snout. Then Jack knocked a stone loose and dragon snapped her head around. "Fool!" and she fired another stream of fire at the skeleton, hitting him square on and splashing against the rock like a giant wave.

"Jack!" Riku and Beast called out.

"Fire will not avail you," Jack's voice rang out, echoing off the rocks as the skeleton leapt off the cliff, flames clinging to him like remnants of a tattered cloak.

Maleficent continued in shock and it proved to be her undoing. Sword straight before him like an arrow pointing the way, Jack drove it into the dragon's maw. The flames stopped as she choked and went into spasms.

Jack landed on all fours, then gracefully unfolded, brushing the last bits of green fire from his suit as if they were lint.

"You're all right!" Beast rumbled in surprise. Jack grinned at him. "Her fire wasn't hot enough to burn me so easily. But, I'm afraid I lost your sword," he apologized to Riku, who shrugged it off.

"Do you know where we are?" Riku asked.

"Look." Beast pointed down the mountain. Not too far down, there was a kind of beach, leading to a sea of stars, small bits of land floating like islands, yet drifting amongst the void. On the horizon loomed a castle, tall black spires and spindly flying buttresses reminding Riku of crystallized sugar.

"The End of the World," Beast stated quietly.

"And Ansem's Castle," Riku added darkly, a steely glint to his eyes.

"We're almost there," Jack pointed out encouragingly.

"Let's go." The silver-haired youth started down the mountain-side at a fast pace.

* * *

Kiyomisa: Well, there ya go! We are approaching the climax! (No, not _that_ kind of climax! the rating is staying pg-13 thank you very little!) Anyway, see you next time!


	12. XII

Kiyomisa: Sorry for the delay, have fun kiddos!

* * *

Cloud had heard the sounds of battle near his campsite and went to investigate, sword in hand. What he found didn't really surprise him, but the sight of Riku made his heart twinge.

_He's all right. Ansem's plan failed_, was the only thing he could think as his former companions started down to the beach. At first he felt light with relief, then he realized that the trio was almost to the End of the World.

"Not good," he said to himself, sprinting back to camp to gather supplies.

Ansem looked at the clock. One hour and fifteen minutes remaining. He could almost taste Riku's lips, almost feel the youth's lithe body under his hands. He felt a tug on his long hair and he turned to look at Sora. The brunette was gazing up at him with half-lidded, glazed eyes.

"Ansem, please more," he pleaded, pouting cutely.

Ansem chuckled and leaned over the youth nuzzling his neck. "Again? I'd almost say you were insatiable, Pretty Boy."

Sora moaned and rubbed up against him insistently. Again Ansem laughed. "Do you know , none of my partners for the past five hundred years has yet to tire me out? And yet, I think you're close to doing it."

Blue eyes pleaded with him. "I need you so badly." Sora's sweet voice wrapped around those words brought a thrill of possessiveness and delight to the Heartless King.

"Then I will not deny you Sweetling."

Riku and his companions were almost to the beach of the End of the World. Beast cautiously approached the starry nothing and tapped it with his foot. He then looked at Jack skeptically. "Are you sure we can walk on this?"

"I'm sure," the skeleton assured him indulgently for the fifth time. Beast was still skeptical, but this time remained quiet.

"All right, let's go then!" Riku said impatiently, stepping out onto the void. It rippled beneath him like water, but did not splash or give. "See Beast? It's fine."

The ground shook and Riku had to struggled to keep his balance. The stars rushed from a spot in the void creating a bigger and bigger circle of darkness. A wind rose from the darkness, followed by the top of a purple metal mound. As it continued to rise, it became apparent that it was a giant armored Heartless, though it's arms legs and head weren't connected physically to the main body.

"God fuck-it!" Riku shouted, punching the void beneath him in frustration.

"No time for that now," Jack retorted tensely, dropping into a fighting stance.

The Heartless swung at them, and though they dodged the first attack, the second swing came much faster than they expected from such a big thing and caught them full force. All were knocked into the hillside, the breath knocked out of Beast and Riku and Jack entangled in the branches of a tree.

Trying to breath despite the sharp pain in his chest, Riku watched the giant Heartless move directly for him. _Shit! I can't move!_

Riku closed his eyes as the Heartless prepared to strike. A rush of wind and a sharp clang made him jerk his eyes open again.

Before him stood Cloud, sword braced against the Heartless' arms. Both were shaking from exertion and with a harsh grunt, Cloud managed to shove the Heartless away, sparks flying as sword grated against armor.

"C-cloud!" Riku managed to get out. The only response he received was a brief, flickering glance of blue eyes for the Heartless was already recovered and swinging again.

Riku risked a glance at the others. Beast was painfully climbing to his feet, his wounds bleeding again and Jack was trying to unsnag a branch that had pierced his suit. Wincing, the youth forced himself to sit up.

Cloud dodged two more attacks, then, springing off of the Heartless' own arm, he swiped down powerfully at the helmet.

Again sparks flew, then with a shrieking sound, the sword dug in, slowly slicing downward. It began to cut faster, sparks shooting out in a waterfall, and then, the sword was touching the ground again. With a slight grunt, Cloud wrenched the sword form the armor and leaped back, breathing heavily.

The armor fell in pieces, revealing nothing inside. Riku felt Beast and Jack lift him up by his arms.

"Cloud," Riku said, finally able to breathe again. The blond slowly turned around, his expression carefully schooled.

"I gave you the peach, knowing it was from Ansem, and for that I apologize. I never meant to hurt you."

Riku grinned. "I know."

Cloud looked surprised for a moment. "Then you-?"

Riku walked up to him and hugged him. "I forgive you."

At first the swordsman was stiff and uncertain, then he realized and even hugged Riku back lightly. "Thanks."

Riku pulled away with another grin. "No problem. You coming with us then?"

"If you'll have me."

Beast strode over and clapped him on the shoulder. "No one else I'd rather have."

Jack swept him a bow. "An excellent companion to have indeed."

Cloud smiled. "Let's go get that bastard."

The others cheered and they set off.

Ansem was watching Sora sleep when knocking shook the door. The tan man sighed. "Yes?"

Ithlain entered, bowing quickly. "Milord, the boy."

Ansem raised a silver eyebrow. Ithlain swallowed and clarified, "the boy who ate the peach and forgot everything."

"What of him?"

"He's almost here, with Beast, Skellington and the swordsman, and they're headed for the castle."

Ansem stood up, eyes flashing in anger. "Impossible! Send out the Heartless! He must not be allowed to reach us!"

"Milord!" Ithlain replied, bowing sharply and disappearing in his blue flames.

"What's going on?" Sora asked sleepily from the bed.

Ansem looked at him. "Get dressed, I'm moving you someplace safer."

* * *

Kiyomisa: Heh heh heh. The final confrontation and the final chapter, next time! 


	13. XIII

Kiyomisa: Hey y'all. I need some loving from you 'cause I just got a few flames on one of my older fics. sniff I know it's crap, but they don't have to say it like that. Anyways, hope you enjoy the final chapter! The final confrontation! And if you haven't seen the movie The Labyrinth by now, you should!

* * *

The quartet didn't flinch when the Heartless appeared. Cloud merely handed Riku a dirk form his hip and they charged in. At first there were no problems, but more and more Heartless arrived, swarming them and making it hard to fight.

"We're being swamped!" Jack shouted.

Beast threw a big Heartless into a crowd of smaller ones, then threw his head back and roared. His companions dropped to their knees, covering their ears and the ground began to shake from the sound. Cracks split through the void, shining with a bright white light. As the cracks grew, the Heartless fell in, shrieking in terror. And still Beast roared.

When all of the Heartless had fled or fallen into the light, Beast let his roar die out, slumping down to the ground in exhaustion.

"Beast!" Riku cried, going over to his friend. Beast looked at him with tired, half-lidded eyes.

"I'm fine, go, you don't have much time."

Riku hesitated.

"I'll say with him, go," Jack said firmly. Riku nodded, stood up and began for the castle again, Cloud right beside him. They dispatched the few remaining Heartless that stood in their way and were soon standing before the gates of the castle. They entered cautiously, blades always at the ready, but the place seemed deserted.

Riku shivered when he saw a staircase leading form the empty throne-room. "Ansem's up there," he said, not sure how he knew, but knowing it was true.

"Let's go then," Cloud said and started for the stair. Riku grabbed the blonde's arm, shaking his head.

"No, I have to go alone."

Cloud studied him, then slowly nodded. "I understand, but if you need me, I'll be there." Before Riku could respond, the blonde had cupped his face and kissed him gently. When Cloud pulled away again, Riku blinked at him. The blonde had a soft blush across his nose, but his sapphire blue eyes were clear and serious. "Now go, your love awaits you."

Riku blinked again, coming out of his shock. "Right." He went to the stairs, then paused a the bottom to look at Cloud again. The swordsman smiled and nodded. Riku nodded back, then charged up the stairs.

At the top of the stairs was a room almost impossible to comprehend. Stairs went up, sideways diagonal and upside down. Doors too went every which way and for a moment the sight made Riku dizzy.

Then he caught sight of someone walking along the ceiling.

"Sora!" he called out. The brunette looked at him curiously, then continued walking. Riku couldn't breathe, he felt as if a needle had been thrust into his heart, and was now bleeding slowly from the puncture.

Then he remembered Ansem's peach and how he'd forgotten Sora. With a stubborn and determined set to his jaw, Riku began climbing stairs after Sora.

"I don't know what that bastard did to you, but I'm getting you back."

"Poor little Riku," Ansem's deep voice echoed throughout the chamber. "Having trouble finding something?"

"Fuck you Ansem!" Riku snarled into the room, still jogging towards the door Sora had disappeared through.

The Heartless King's laughed rang off the stone walls. "I believe that was the idea dear boy."

Riku gritted his teeth and continued, vowing to ignore the rest of Ansem's taunts. He darted through a doorway, catching sight of Sora once more. The youth was now walking down the side of a wall.

"Sora!" Riku cried again, but the youth didn't even turn to look at him.

"You're too late," Ansem murmured in his ear, but when he turned to look, the Heartless King was not there. Growling, Riku dashed towards Sora again, following the youth through a sideways door that Riku had to jump through or risk tripping on the half-foot of stone.

He looked around the other side, but there was no sign of the boy. "Where is he?" Riku muttered, forcing down the panic that was growing within him.

Laughter floated up from a circle in the floor; familiar laughter that made his heart skip a beat. He ran to the edge and looked down.

Sitting in what should have been a domed skylight, about fifteen feet deep, Sora gazed intently at one of Ansem's crystals, laughing at what he saw in it.

"Sora," Riku said quietly, looking for a way down. There was none and Riku squared his shoulders. _If I die doing this, I hope you'll be free of Ansem,_ he thought and leapt into the open air. Riku closed his eyes and braced for an impact that never came.

Opening his eyes again, Riku found himself gently floating in the starry void of the End of the World, surrounded by floating chunks of the chamber he'd just been in as if it had exploded without a sound. His feet touched down on one of the larger chunks, and he was grounded as if that one piece held the gravity of an entire planet. From a darkened doorway, Ansem strode out, the shadows sticking to him momentarily like cobwebs.

"Are you happy now Riku? You have sent my Kingdom into chaos."

"Ecstatic," the pale youth replied flatly. "Where's Sora?"

Ansem strode forward, a look of fury on his handsome visage. "Is he the only thing you can think of?"

"Yes," Riku answered without hesitation.

"Why? What is it about him that entrances you so?" the king demanded, ember eyes flickering like fire. Riku cocked his head and gazed at him coldly.

"Don't you know? You spent nearly thirteen hours with him, surely you have at least a guess."

Ansem growled. "True the boy has a sweet, naive charm, but you risked you life for him; several times; why?"

Ocean met fire as Riku stared at the king. "I love him."

Ansem flinched, as if struck by a physical blow, then straightened again. "And yet you do not know if he feels the same for you."

Riku shook his head. "It doesn't matter, I'd still love him."

"Even if he chooses Kairi?" Ansem dug.

Riku had to close his eyes to stem the sudden desiore to cry. "If she truly makes him happy, then so be it." He opened his eyes, cold and unforgiving, towards the Heartless King. "But I will _still_ love him. And you cannot change that."

Ansem held up a crystal, with an image of Riku on Ansem's throne inside. "I can give you the whole kingdom, all the power of darkness. Would you forsake a life of absolute power for one of loveless uncertainty?"

Riku watched his crystal self command shadows and armies at will; taking Sora from Kairi, making him _his_. Riku shook himself free and turned gaze to Ansem's instead. "No matter how much power you have, you can't force someone to love you."

Riku paused as Ansem withdrew the crystal, a frown marring his handsome features.

"You have no power over me," the youth said with absolute finality.

An unseen clock began to chime the thirteenth hour. With a calm, but angry and resentful expression, Ansem threw the crystal into the air and vanished into the shadows. Riku watched dispassionately as the crystal arced. On the final chime, it struck the stone and shattered, the tinkling of its shards harmonizing with the sound of the bell.

The shadows enveloped everything, even the stars, until there was no light at all. Then a glowing figure phased into existence, light emanating from it's very being.

"Sora?" Riku murmured, not really aware of the familiar beach of Destiny Island forming beneath his feet. There was a giant pulse of power that rushed out in a circular wave with Sora at it's center and Riku had to shield his eyes against the sudden bright light his friend produced.

When the light subsided, Riku was home on Destiny Island, standing fifty feet from Sora, who was also standing, though with his eyes closed.

"Sora?" Riku called to his friend cautiously.

Sora opened his eyes bright and blue like the clear sky above them. "Riku? Riku!" and he launched himself at Riku, who ran forward to meet him. They almost knocked each other over with the initial force of their embrace, laughing and crying at the same time.

"I'm so sorry-"

"You're all right-"

"I didn't know how to-"

"You're not hurt-"

"act around you-"

"I never meant to hurt you-"

"Because I love you," they chorused, finishing at the same time. Sora's eyes widened in surprise, but Riku wasted no time in kissing the brunette, holding him tightly and reverently. It was only a split second before Sora was kissing back, clutching him just as tightly. Both closed their eyes as they reveled in the moment of a dream long awaited, realized.

Riku pulled his head away briefly to catch his breath, then kissed Sora again, claiming the other youth with his lips and tongue. Sora gave in happily, matching caress for thrust and pressing up against the lithe body of his love. When they broke apart again, Sora rested his cheek on Riku's shoulder, hugging him tight and close.

"I didn't mean it," Riku murmured. "I never meant for him to take you away from me."

"I knew you would come for me," Sora answered warmly. "Even when he told me you weren't, I knew you were coming."

They stood in silence for a while, stroking each other's backs and savoring the embrace. Then Sora pulled away slightly to look up at Riku. He was lightly blushing and the look he was giving the silver-haired youth was half shy innocence and half hungry seducer. Riku felt his pulse quicken and his throat dry at the sight.

"Riku?"

"Y-yeah?"

"Do...do you want to spend the night tonight? I'm sure Mom won't mind."

"I'd like that very much," Riku answered with a warm smile. His stomach suddenly growled and Sora laughed.

"But first, dinner!" Riku announced, putting a hand on his stomach. "I'm starving!"

On the way back Riku told Sora briefly of the things he'd encountered and the friends he'd made. When he was done, Sora asked, "Do you think Ansem's gone for good?"

Riku shook his head. "I don't think so, but he'll be too busy rebuilding his kingdom to mess with us any more."

"Good," Sora said emphatically, snuggling into Riku's side.

"Still, I wish my friends could be here too," Riku said, almost to himself.

The next day, all the islander's were gathered by the Mayor to the town square, for someone new was moving in. Three someone's to be precise.

The first was a very tall, very thin and very pale young man with shiny black hair and twinkling black eyes. When he smiled, he looked almost like a jack-o-lantern.

The second young man was also tall, but with very broad shoulders, shoulder-length golden-brown hair and striking blue eyes. He seemed to move with the gracefulness of a wolf and strength of a lion.

The third was a shorter young man with fairly slim shoulders, but wiry, dangerous looking muscles. His blonde hair spiked up as well as fell in front of intense blue eyes.

Riku felt his breath hitch. A warm breeze caressed his ear, and a voice, deeper than the earth and softer than the sand murmured, "My parting gift to you."

THE END!

Kiyomisa: Ahh...yeay! There you go, here's the end. Thank you all for being patient with me and for all your support. It's readers like you guys that help me keep writting. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writting it. See you on some of my other stories! wink wink, nudge nudge)


End file.
